Cut-off valve for steam-engines.



PATENTBD APB.. 26, 1904.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 1Q, 1903.

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E. J. WATERS. GET- UEE VALVE EOE STEAM ENGINES.

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ELJ. WATERS. V GUT-OEE VALVE EoEsTEAM ENGINES.

APPJLIGATIGN FILED SPT. 10, 1903.

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.PATENTED APE. 26, 1904. E. J. WATERS. CUT-:OEE VALVE EOE STEAM ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1903.

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; UNITED STATES Iatented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE. l

FRANK J. WATERS, OF PROvIDENOEfRHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO WILLIS A. DREW, FRANK E. FARNHAM, ARTHUR CfFARN- HAM, AND ALFRED HARRISON.

WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND.

CUT-'OFF VALVE FR STEAM-ENGINES.

A y fOFA PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, 1 JAMES GEE, OF ORANSTON, RHODE ISLAND, AND HENRY J. RAGE, OF

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters iPatent No. 758,122, dated April 26, 19'04. l Application inea september 10.1903. serial No. 172.644. (Numan.)

To 'af/ZZ Zal/tom t may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK J. WATERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, inthe county ofProvidence and State yof Rhode Island, have invented lcertain new and useful Improvements in'Out-O Valves for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Like numerals indicate like parts.

Figure 1 isa central longitudinal section of a rotary steam-engine provided with my improved cut-oliE and rotary valves. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section of the Same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of said engine and valves. Fig. is ya plan View taken on line a c of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan VView taken on line of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a plan view taken on line c o of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a top plan asseen on line (l (l of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a plan ofthe sliding reversing-valve. Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the steam-chest of the engine opposite to that end which is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 1() is a front elevation of the exterior parts of my invention. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the rotary valve. Fig. 12 is a View of the same as seen on line c @of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a view of the same as seen on line ff of Fig. 11. Fig. 14 is a diametrical section of that end of the rotary .valve which inFig. 11 is adjacent to said Fig. 14. 'Fig 15 is an elevation of the collar or ring at said end of the rotary valve. Fig. 16 is a longitudinal section of said valve asseen on line g g of Fig. 12. Fig. 17 is a' top plan view of the'cut-OII valve. Fig. 18 is a cross-section of the same as seen on line z, ofpFig. 16. Fig. 19 is a cross-section of the cnt-off valve as seen on line t' i of Fig. 17.

My invention relates to a combination of a rotary valve and `a cut-off valve` for a steamf engine; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 represents the main shaft Qof a rotary steam-engine, and 2 is the Hywheel, fastened thereon bythe spline 3. A gear 4 is fastened on the main Shaft 1 by the spline 5. The cylinder is shown at 6 and hasV fthe ports 7 and 8, as seen Yin Figs. 2 and 4.

The piston is of the class known asythe eX-,- I`pansion'piston and is mounted Ain a -pijston. hub, which constitutes a part of the main. lshaft; .but as said piston and. piston-hub. andthe means of conveying steam to said piston 'do not constitute any part of my present invention I do notdeem it necessary to describe Said parts are substantially like fhasa base 10. Two tubular bosses 11 and 12 are` threaded to receive, respectively, the steaminlet pipe 13 and the .steam-outlet pipe 14. -The steam-chest 9 has theA ports 15, 16, and 17. v `(See Fig. 2.). The steam-chest has a tubular,`

valve-seat, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Its ends are closed bythe heads 17 and 18, secured: thereto by the screw-bolts 19 and 20.- YThe 'head 18 is provided with a stniiing-box andgland, as shown at 21. Y Y

The cylinder 6 has a base 22, provided a ange 23. Through the base 22 the -ports 24 and 25 extend, as seen in Fig. 2. Theport Witll 24 at its upper end opens into the two ports 7:

of the cylinder 6, and the port 25 at itsnpper end opens into the two ports 8 of the cylinder 6. l

The base 22 and its anges 23 rest upon the plate 26, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. This plate has the two openings or ports 27 and 28,

with the intermediate partition or bridge 29. A valve-seat plate 30 is shown in Figs. 2 'and 6. It has an oblong rectangular seat or depression (best seen in Fig. 2) and is provided .f with two openings or ports 31 and 32. Around these ports 31 and 32 is the Valve-seat 33 and 34. The valve-seat, plate 30 also basa centra] .oblong rectangular opening or port 35, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In Fig. 6 'is shown the four pieces of which the plate 30 is composed and how the same are iitted and fastened together by tie-pieces, mortises, and bolts, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

A sliding reversing-valve 36 is separately shown in Fig. 8 and in combination with the valve-seat in Fig- 6. It has a central oblong port 36a, which has two oppositely-arranged semicircular recesses or clearances 37. A stem 38 is screwed into the ledge of said valve and terminates at its outer end in an earpiece 39. The stem 38 is movable through a hole made therefor in-the plate 30, as seen in Figs. 2 and 6.

The upper portion of the steam-chest 9 has a ange 40 and a central oblong rectangular depression 41, as seen in Fig. 7. Bolts 42 extend through the plates 26 and 30 into said ange 40. The bottom of this depression 41 is provided with a series of diagonal ports 43, as shown in Fig. 1, but best seen in Fig. 7. and a central round boss or projection 44 extends upwardly, which has a screw hole tapped therein.

A bolt 45 passes centrally through the base 22 of the cylinder 6 and also through the partition 29 of the plate `26 and through a tube or bushing 46 into thescrew-hole tapped in theboss or projection 44, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8. When the sliding valve 36 is moved to its full limit of travel inwardly or outwardly, the bushing 46 is received into one ot' the recesses 37 of lthe port 36'l of said valve. This movement of the sliding valve 36 in and out is caused by the lever 48 and the stem 38,

, which connects the valve 36 and the lever 48,

the latter being pivoted by the pin 49 in the bracket or arm'50, which extends from the valveseat plate 30. The lever 48 passes through a packing -box 51, attached to the valve-plate 30. (See Fig. 6.) A pin or bolt 52 passes through the lever 48 and the earpieces 39 of the stem 38 of said valve 36. This construction is shown in Figs. 2, 6, 9, and 10.

In a tubular bore of the steam-chest is r'otatably mounted the rotary valve 53, whose exterior surface is cylindrical, but whose interior or bore is tapering. The rotary valve is shown in position inl Fig; 1, but is separately shown in Figs. 11 to 16, inclusive. The valve 53 has a series of ports 54, parallel to each other, but arranged diagonally, as seen in Figs. 11 and7, and all opening into the bore of said valve. The valve 53 has four equispaced longitudinal grooves 55, as shown in Figs. 11, 12, and 16. Packing-bars 56 are mounted loosely in said grooves 55, each of which bars has projecting ears 57 at its ends, as illustrated in Fig. 16. A bow-spring 58 in each-groove 55 presses the packing-bar 56 outwardly into contact with the tubular valveseat in the steam-chest 9. The end of the valve 53 is concentrically reduced, as seen at 59 in Fig. 14, and a split-spring-ring packing 60 is placed on said end of the valve 53 so reduced.

n ports 73.

A solid ring 61, having an annular flange 62, is secured by screws 63 at one end of the valve 53. This ring 61 has a central circular aperture 64 continuous with the bore 65 of the valve 53. The ring 61 serves to hold the splitspring-ring packing 60 in position. A similar split-spring-ring packing 66 is fitted loosely on the opposite reduced end of the valve 53. The ears 57 of the packing-bars 56 project within the split-ring packings 60 and 66, as shown in Fig. 16.

The rotary valve 53 is turned by means of a tubular handle or sleeve 67, which has a spline 68 at its outer end, as seen in Figs. 11 and 1. As best seen in Fig. 1, the tube or sleeve 67 is integral with a concentric tubular chamber 69, which has the iianges 70 kand 71 (see also Fig. 16) and the annular shoulder 7 2. The chamber 69 has the four longitudinal (See Figs. 11 and 13.). Said/sleeve or vhandle 67 and chamber 69 are secured to the valve 53, at one end thereof, by screws 74. The annular iange 71 serves to hold the splitspring packing 66. The interior corner of the annular shoulder 72 is beveled to form a conical seat, as seen in Fig. 1. The chamber 69 has a central circular aperture 75 continuous with the smaller end' of the bore 65 of the rotary valve 53.

The cut-oi valve 76 is shown separately in Figs. 17, 18, and 19 and in position in Figs. 1 and 2. It is in the shape of a cone-frustum and has a tapering bore 77 from end to end. This cut-off valve has a' series of parallel ports or openings 78, arranged diagonally but in directions angularly to those of the diagonal ports'54 of the rotary valve 53. The exterior taper of the cut-OH valve 76 is such as to make it lit loosely in the tapering bore of the rotary valve 53.

AThe cut-off valve 76 has a valve-stem 79, at the end of which is the spline 80. The inner end of the valve-stem 79 is square in crosss'ection, as seen in Figs. land 17. Said valvestem has a collar 81, with a tapering edge 82, which adapts it to iit in the tapering seat in the inner portion of the annular shoulder 72. The smaller end of the cut-olf valve 76 is provided with a flange 83 and with a head 84, having a cylindrical exterior through which a square axial aperture 85 extends, as seen in Fig. 19. Through the flange 83 and head 84 are ports 86, as seen in Figs. 1, 17 and 19. The inner squared end of the valve-stem 79 passes loosely through the square hole 85 of the head 84,`as shown in Figs. 1 and 17 This square end being loosely fitted and slidable allows the steam-pressure to force the cut-off valve and the cut-oiT-valve stem to their seats independent of eachother.

` In a bracket 87, which extends from the end 2O of the chest 9, is a stud 88. i An intermediate gear 89 is mounted on said stud and held rotatably thereon by a nut -90. The gear 89 is in mesh with the gear 4. The stand 9-1,

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which is fastened'to the base 10ofthe engine tubular valve-stem 67 of the rotary valve53 by the spline 68v and is in mesh With'the gear 89. The valve-stem 7 9 of the cut-ofi1 valve 76 is rotatably mounted in the tubular valvestem 67 of the rotary valve 53, as seen in Fig. 1. Theouter end of said valve-stem 79 protrudes beyond the outer end of-the tubular valve-.stem l67 of the rotary valve 53, and a gear 95 is mounted von said protruding end and secured in position by the spline 80.

A bracket 96 has la stud 97 and a segmental head 98, which is provided Vwith an arc-shaped slot 99. A lever 100 is mounted on vthe 'studl 97 and hasatthe upper end a-handle 101 and at the lower end a segmental gear 102, which is in mesh with the gear 95, asbest seenin Fig. 3. Ay headed `bolt 103 passes loosely through the slot 99 and has .on 2its inner end a screw-thread,y as seen in Fig. 10. A thumbnut engages with thethreaded end of the bolt 103 on one side of .the lever 100, and the headof said bolt bears against the .opposite side of the lever 100. In.- this manner the lever 100 can b e heldin any .adjusted position allowed by the lengthoi' the slot 99.

In the cylinder 6 on the main shaft 1 is a piston-hub 104,Y provided With two piston-blades 105, as shown in Fig. 2. f- Steam is admitted between the inner ends of said blades 105 to give them an expansive movement, as explained in my said Letters Patent No. 733,777.

Having thus described the several parts of my invention', I will' nowexplain'their operation. l

The steam is admitted at boiler-pressure through the pipe 13 into the steam-chest 9 (see Figs. 1 and 2) and first passes into the bore 77. of the cut-off valve 76. It' passes through the ports 78 of thecut-oir" valve 7 6"v and thence through the ports 54 of the rotary -valve 53. i From the said ports ofthe rotary valve it: passes through the por-ts 43 of the depressed portion 41 of the top of the steam-chest 9, Fig. 7, thence through the port 35 of the valve-seat plate 30, thence through the port 36 or' the sliding valve 36, thence through the port 27 (or the port 28) of the plate 26, thence through the port 24,7(or the port 25,) and thence through' theports 7 `(or the ports 8) into the cylinder 6, Where it o'perates the piston in the ymanner specified in my said Letters Patent No. 733,777. Which of the ports 31 or 32, 27 or 28, 24 or 25, l7 or 8 the steam shall pass through is determined by the sliding valve 36. This valve is operated by the handle 47 and lever 48. Itis movable on the valve-seat plate 30 upon the flanges or seats 33V and 34 thereof and along the tube or bushing 46 of the bolt 45, asmost plainly seen in Fig. 6. In the several iigures and 17 are continuous. I i ports the -ive ports last named are'exhaust-` ports, conducting the exhaust-steam from the.

@thereon to revolve. 'terniediate gear 89, and the gear 89 turns thek gear 94 in the same direction of rotation as lthat of the gear `4. The rotation of theV gear 94 causes va constantv rotation of the tubular valve-stem 67 and its connected rotary valvev 53. By moving the handle 101'and the-con- Vby the engineer.

said sliding valve is shown at-i'ts central position, where it covers or closes'both the ports 27 and 28; but when the valve-stem 38 of said valve 36 is drawn out to its fullest extent said valve 36l closes the port 15, but passes by the port 28, sothat the ports 8, 25, 28, 32,

In this position of theV cylinder 6 to the exhaust-pipe 14; but when The rotation of the main shaft 1 causes the gear 4 The gear 4 turns the innected lever 100 the engineer sets the eut-0E valve 76 in any position which he may desire. v

Such movement ofthe lever 100 causes an, oscillatory-movement of the segmentalgear' 102, andthe gear 102 turn-s' to a corresponding degree the gear 95, which is fast upon the. valve-stem 7 9 of the cut-onf' valve'76. 'When the cut-off valve -hasthus been set at the desired degree', the lever 100 -is locked in posi,

tion bythe thumb-nut on the .threaded end of -7 5 f the valve-stem 38 of the Asliding valve 36 is moved inwardly to its fullest extent'said valve :36 closes the-port 17, but passes by the port 127 so that the ports 7, 24, 27, 31, and lare j continuous. In that position of the ports the ylive ports last named' are the exhaust-ports and conduct the exhaust-steam from the cyl- -inder 6 through the port 16 to the exhausti pipe 14, as will be readily understood from an` examination of Fig. 2. Thus the main shaftv `may be rotated in either direction at Ythe will 'of the operator, and said sliding valve is the yreversing-valve of this rotary engine.

the bolt 103, and thus the cut-olf valve 76 relmains in'A its adjusted positionvvunti'l changed.

`By examining Figs. 11 and 17 cut-ofi" --valve 76 are parallel and directed op. posite to the ports 54 of the rotary valve 53.. It thecut-of valve-76 is set so that-itsports it will be fseen that the diagonal ports 540i' the rotary: valve 53 are parallel and directed in one di-A rection, but that the diagonal ports 78 ofthe.

78 are openV to their fullest extent to discharge steam through the ports54 of the rotary valve; 53, then the steam is received into the vcylinder 6 at full boiler-pressure; but if the cut-oil' valve 7 6 is set half-way, or at any degree less than full, the steam after it has been out off is used expansively. It is evident, therefore, that by means of the lever the cut-oit valve may be set in any position and so may regulate to what degree the steam shall be used expansively. l

IZO

As the valve 53 during the running of the engine is rotating rapidly, but the cut-off valve 76 is stationary in the position in which ISO it is set, there is a steam-passage from the cutoff valve to the rotary valve to the extent that the ports 54 of the'rotary valve and the ports 78 of the cut-off valve (which are oppositely directed) are for the instant of time continuous with each other.

- The packing-bars 56 and the split-springring packings 60 66 serve to prevent the leakage of steam from the valve 53 as said valve rotates in the circular valve-seat or bore of the steam-chest 9, wherein it is mounted.

AAs seen by inspection of Fig. 1, the steam entering the bore. 77 of the cut-ofi" valve 76 presses against the inner end of the squared portion of the valve-stem 79, and so forces the beveled edge 82 of the collar 81, Fig. 17, into the tapering seat formed on the inner side of the flange 70 of the valve-stem 67 of the rotary valve 53, thus preventing the leakage of steam at that place.

The ports 86 (shown in Figs. 17 and 19) allow the steam to pass into the space (shown in Fig. l) between the smaller end of the cutoff valve 76 and the inner-parts of the chamber 65 of the valve-stem 67 ofthe rotary valve 53 and thence through the openings 73 in said chamber against the exterior surfaces of the anges 70 72 of the said valve-stem 67. The result is a balancing of steam-pressure in opposite directions in boththe rotary valve 53 and the cut-ofi` valve 76.

As the square end of the stem 79 of the cutoff valve tits loosely and slidably in the square aperture 85 of the head 84 of the cut-off valve'76, the steam-pressure forces the smaller end of the cut-off valve and beveled end 82 of the collar 81 to their respective seats independently of each other.

The ports of the rotary valve and the ports of the cut-olf valve are directed diagonally to each other, so as to cover the entire running-surface of the valves as the rotary valve revolves and not to throttle and open the ports every time the intermediate bars pass each other, as they would if said bars of the one valve were parallel to and in the same direction as said bars of the other valve.

. The diagonal ports in the periphery of th steam-chest are a little more than one-quarter of the circumference in extent, and the ports of the rotary valveare just one-quarter of the circumference in extent; but the ports of the cut-off valve are a little less than one-quarter of the circumference in extent. Thus if the cut-off valve is set so that its ports are not continuous at all with the ports of the tubular valve-seat of the steam-chest, or, in other words, if the cut-0H valve is set one hundred and eighty degrees from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, it will cut off all flow of steam from the source of supply to the cylinder; but by setting the cut-off valve at any other lposition either way the steam can be cut off at any desired point from the beginning to the end of the stroke. The engine is thus able to start wheneverthe cut-of-valve ports are in any position less than one hundred and eighty degrees from thatshown in Fig. 2, as there is no-dead-center within those limits.

I claim asa novel and useful invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In a steam-engine, the combination of a rotary valve having'a bore and provided with ports through its side which are diagonally arranged, and a cut-off valve rotatably mounted in the bore of the rotary valve and having ports through its side which are diagonally arranged in a direction' angular to the ports of the rotary valve but capable of progressive partial registration with the ports of the rotary valve, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-engine, the combination with a steam-chest having a tubular valve-seat, of the rotary valve 53 therein having dischargingports 54, the tubular valve-stem 67 ,the chamber 69, having the ianges 7 0, 71, the annular internally-beveled shoulder 72 and the ports 73, the tapering cut-off valve 76 rotatably mounted in a tapering bore of the rotary valve, the flange 83 having the ports 86, the head 84 having the square aperture 85 through which the squared inner end of the valve-stem' 79 passes, and the collar 81 having the beveled edge 82, all arranged and operating substadntially as shown and for the purpose speci- 3. In a steam-engine, the combination of a tubular cut-off valve having one longitudinal port extending ninety degrees of the circumference of said valve, a rotary valve wherein said cut-ofi' valve is rotatably mounted and having two diametrically opposite longitudinal ports each extending ninety degrees of the circumference of said rotary valve, a tubular valve-seat wherein said rotary valve is rotatably mounted and having one longitudinal port extending ninety degrees of the circumference of said valve-seat, means adapted to rotate said rotary valve, and other means adapted to oscillate said cut-0H' valve, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. WATERS.

Witnesses:

WILLIS A. DREW, WARREN R. PERCE.

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